Julian Nagelsmann is on Manchester United’s shortlist of coaches, unless the club sticks with interim boss Michael Carrick. While the German tactician has an impressive resume, his potential appointment wouldn’t come without risk.
Manchester United appointed Michael Carrick as interim head coach in January, 14 months on from their decision to hire Ruben Amorim.
Carrick has thus far made a strong case to remain as head coach beyond this season, with United sitting third in the Premier League and within reach of Champions League qualification with six games remaining.
Several media outlets have published shortlists of candidates to compete with Carrick for the role, with many including Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann and Paris Saint-Germain’s Luis Enrique.
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Julian Nagelsmann’s grey spot that requires decisiveness from Man Utd
Nagelsmann and Enrique both have far more experience coaching at the top level than Carrick, and the latter – it could be argued – is currently among the very best coaches in club football.
The Telegraph claims Enrique is close to signing a new deal to remain at PSG, which narrows down United’s search for a new head coach. So much so, I would argue that Nagelsmann is the only other outstanding candidate in the mix to challenge Carrick.
The 38-year-old tactician has an incredible CV after saving Hoffenheim from relegation, guiding RB Leipzig to the Champions League semi-finals, winning the Bundesliga title at Bayern Munich, and now leading Germany to the 2026 World Cup.
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Nagelsmann is an innovative coach, obsessed with data, but for all the hype that currently surrounds him, there are risks at play. It would be naive to suggest otherwise.
The former Hoffenheim, Leipzig and Bayern coach has been out of club football since 2023. Nagelsmann took the Germany job, which comes with fewer responsibilities despite having the weight of an entire nation. International football is essentially ‘part-time football’ for coaches compared to the 60-game-season grind Nagelsmann would be expected to manage at United.
Of course, Nagelsmann has proven himself in the past, but it has been almost three years since he last managed a club. As we’ve seen with United this season, things can quickly change in football, which creates a grey spot with the German coach. There is no way to track his current club-level progress, and United cannot wait until the World Cup.
I couldn’t help but be impressed by how PSG made easy work of Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals, but it also made me think about what Bayern Munich would look like today if Nagelsmann were still in charge.
Furthermore, if Germany reaches the quarter-finals or beyond at the World Cup, Nagelsmann would be unavailable until late July at the earliest. That means preparations for the new season cannot be fulfilled properly.
This is where United’s decisiveness comes into play. Ineos must get this decision right. As of now, it would be a surprise if Carrick didn’t get the job; the only thing preventing that would be a collapse that would see United fall short of Champions League qualification.
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Nagelsmann is under contract with the German national team until Euro 2028, after signing a new deal in January.
That has not stopped Nagelsmann from being linked with a move to United, with rumours suggesting Christopher Vivell will push for his appointment at Old Trafford.
Reports suggest Nagelsmann is keen on a move to the Premier League, but nothing concrete has been decided yet.
Carrick can strengthen his case to remain United head coach by finishing the season strongly and securing a Champions League spot. Failure to do that could see Nagelsmann emerge as the top contender.
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